1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a camera lens module, and more particularly, to a lens assembly alignment device for aligning the optical axis of the lens assembly with the optical axis of an image sensor when mounting the lens assembly in a camera lens module.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital camera converts an image signal into an electric signal, and thereby electrically executes all signal processing, such as recording, reproducing, etc. The digital camera does not require a darkroom processes or chemical treatments like a silver salt film camera. The digital camera also allows for immediate confirmation of a photographed image. Additionally, recorded image information is electronically processed so that it can be post-treated or remotely transmitted through a computer. Therefore, expectations for and interest in image devices are concentrated on digital cameras.
Recently, camera lens modules digital cameras have been provided in portable terminals, thereby extending the application of digital cameras. Since image sensor techniques have been greatly improved, a camera lens module that performs in the same manner as a digital camera is able to be provided in a portable terminal. As a result, portable terminals that are equipped with a lens module have made inroads into digital camera markets.
Camera lens modules are miniaturized so that they can be incorporated into a portable terminal. Additionally, the camera lens modules are preferably manufactured in a structure that allows the camera lens modules to properly exhibit their performance even when miniaturized. The performance of a camera lens module is determined by the quality and performance of individual optical elements thereof, for example by the performance of an image sensor and the quality of a lens. However, if the optical axes of the image sensor and the lens are not properly aligned with each other, the performance of the camera lens module is deteriorated even when the performance and quality of its individual optical elements are excellent.
Since camera lens modules that are provided in a conventional portable terminal have only provided a photographing function, the quality of photographed images has been controlled by managing manufacturing tolerances and assembling tolerances of parts utilized for assembling an image sensor and a lens without precisely aligning the optical axes of the image sensor and the lens. As the use of portable terminals has become more popular and the required performance of optical elements, such as image sensors, has increased, there is a greater importance in aligning optical axes of image sensors and lenses since portable terminals equipped with a camera lens module have substituted for compact digital cameras.
The performance of optical elements, such as image sensors, that constitute camera lens modules and are to be equipped not only in a digital camera but also in a portable terminal, have been greatly improved. However, proper alignment between optical elements has not been yet been provided in camera lens modules equipped in an information device, such as a portable terminal. Thus, even if a camera lens module is configured with high performance and high quality optical elements, there is a limit in improving the quality of photographed images of the camera lens module.